Vacuum cleaner



c. L. wlLsoN VACUUM CLEANER Filed April l5,l 1965 May 9, 1967 United States Patent O 3,318,075 VACUUM CLEANER Curtis L. Wilson, P.O. Box 1094, Sierra Vista, Ariz. 85635 Filed Apr. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 448,551 1 Claim. (Cl. 55-228) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to a Vacuum cleaner and more in particular to a vacuum cleaner which deposits collected waste directly into a sewer or other disposal means, which employs a liquid spray to clean the filter and without handling by human hands.

The vacuum cleaner of this invention is designed to be used as a central vacuum cleaning system for removal and disposal of Waste, dust, dirt, filth or debris and consists briefly, of a tank having a conventional filter therein, a vacuum pump for producing vacuum therein, an outlet connected to a sewer or other disposal means, a hose connected to the tank and to the cleaning inlet or inlets. A spraying means in the tank connected to independent supplies of liquid and cleaning mediums is used to fiush the tank and the filter. The device is operable without handling by human hands and is especially applicable for removal of radioactive Waste or toxic matter. Touching or handling the waste is entirely eliminated and the cleaner is adaptable for use in atomic installations and hospitals, as well as factories or barracks.

The tank would be connected to a domestic water supply and a tank of liquid containing soaps, detergents or other solutions necessary for fiushing, cleaning, neutraliz ing, decontaminating, etc., of the tank and filter.

It is an object of this invention to provide a vacuum cleaner employing a conventional filter, a liquid spray or a combination of both t-o achieve filtering action.

Another object is to provide a vacuum cleaner in which the filter may =be purged, cleaned, decontaminated and saturated with any desired solution without removal of the filter from the cleaner, or physically touching, handling, breathing of fumes or coming into personal contact With waste, filth in the filter or tank.

A further object is to provide a vacuum cleaner that may be connected directly to a sewer or other disposal.

A final object is to provide a vacuum cleaner that is connected to sources of desired detergents, liquids or solutions, etc.

These and other objects and advantages of the present i invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

The single figure illustrates in elevation, with parts broken away, the vacuum cleaner of this invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, reference character 1 designates generally the vacuum cleaner of this invention.

The vacuum cleaner consists of a tank, indicated generally -by 2. Tank 2 may be constructed of two parts for sake of assembly and includes an upper shell 3 and a lower shell 4. Shells 3 and 4 are shown to be secured together yby screws 5.

Lower shell 4 is provided with an offset portion 6 which provides a shelf 7 for the support of a conventional type filter 8 which may be Fiberglas, etc. An annular ring 9 may be provided to prevent any upward movement of the filter.

A vacuum pump 10 is in connection with upper shell 3 by a pipe 11. An air exhaust pipe 12 is provided to direct the exhaust air to a suitable location as is expedient.

A pipe 13 which leads from lower shell 4 to a sewer or the like waste disposal, not shown.

A poppet valve 14 in a chamber 15 connected with pipe 13 which has a diameter larger than that of pipe 13, and provides a means to prevent reverse movement of waste in lower shell 4 while vacuum pump 10 is operating.

Valve 14, while shown to be of the poppet type may be any other type which is suitable, such as a fiap valve, etc., the poppet type valve being shown by way of example only. The valve 14 has a stem 16 slidable in a guide 17 which is supported by a cross rod 18 fixed in the side walls of chamber 15. The valve `14 is urged into a seated, or closed position by a spring 19 which encircles stem 16.

If desired, a second pump 20 may be connected in disposal pipe 13 to pump the Waste in lower shell 4 down into the disposal location.

A hose 21 is connected to lower shell 4 and is for the purpose of admitting waste material which is drawn in lower shell 4 by vacuum. This hose may -be coupled to lower shell 4 by suitable means. As shown, an integral collar 22 is provided in the side Wall of lower shell 4 and the hose 21 is secured therein by screws 23. A fiap valve 24 normally closes the hose 21 when there is no vacuum present in the cleaner 1.

Means for admitting cleaning liquid, under pressure, and detergents also under pressure, are provided and consists of an annular pipe 25 having holes 26 therein. Pipe 25 may `be supported in the upper shell 3, above filter 8, by any suitable means, such as hangers 27.

Annular pipe 25 is connected by a pipe 28 to a Tcoupling 29. A pair of pipes 30 and 31 are in connection with T-coupling 29 `and have valves 32 and 33 mountedv thereon.

When the cleaner 1 is used as a simple vacuum cleaner, pump 10 produces vacuum in tank 2 and flap valve 24 will open. Poppet valve `14 will rbe held closed due to the vacuum in tank 2 and the waste material to be gathered enters lower shell 4 through the hose 21. Air being exhausted is drawn through filter 8 and is exhausted through pipes 11 and 12 to Whatever location pipe 12 leads to.

When it is desired to empty the tank 2 of its waste material, pump 10 is shut down and pump 20 is operated. This causes poppet Valve 14 to be opened by vacuum and the Waste material is forced into a sewer or like disposal, not shown.

Tank 2 may also be emptied without benefit of pump 20 if desired, since, when lower shell 4 becomes overloaded with waste material, the Weight thereof will overcome the bias of spring 19 and cause valve 14 to be pushed open and the material will fall by gravity into the pipe 13. Other means may be employed to operate valve 14 such as manual means that will open and close valve 14.

When it is desired to use both filter 8 and liquid for filtering, valve 32 is opened and liquid from a source under pressure, not shown, enters through pipes 30 and 28 into annular pipe 25 and sprays out -of holes 26 to saturate filter 8.

When it becomes necessary to clean filter 8 and tank 2, pump 10 is operated and valves 32 and 33 are opened. Liquid under pressure, from pipe 30 and detergents also under pressure, from a source, not shown, enters pipe 31 to become mixed at T-coupling 29 and then enter pipe 28 and pipe 25 and are, of course sprayed out of holes 26 to spray on lter 8, through filter 8 and into lower shell 4, shell 4 being usually emptied of Waste material first.

It is apparent therefore that no handling of the filter 8, or manual scrubbing of tank 2 is necessary and the system may function as a self cleaning vacuum cleaner and also capable of operating as both dry or Wet filtering.

The vacuum cleaner 1 is especially applicable for use in a central vacuum cleaning system wherein tank 2 is placed permanently over a sewer or disposal. In this case, hose would lead to a manifold or the like, not shown, and inlet hoses would lead to various locations (also not shown) such :as in barracks, factories, etc.

It is further apparent that contaminated waste in atomic plants, biological plants, hospitals, etc., can be safely disposed of without danger to the user, since the cleaner is fully enclosed.

While only a preferred form of the invention is shown and described, other forms of the invention are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A vacuum cleaner comprising in combination, a tank including an upper shell and a lower shell connected to said upper shell, vthere being an offset, annular shoulder in the upper end `of said lower shell, a lter supported by said shoulder, an air-exhaust pipe leading from said upper shell, a vacuum pump in said air-exhaust pipe, an inlet hose connected to said lower shell, a flap valve normally closing said hose When said vacuum pump is inactive, a waste disposal pipe connected to the lower end of said lower shell, there being a chamber in said disposal pipe and having a diameter larger thereof, a spring biased valve mounted in said chamber and normally closing said waste disposal pipe when said vacuum pump is activated, a pump in said disposal pipe and disposed below said valve, said last named pump being adapted to open said springebiased valve when activated and said vacuum pump is inactive, to draw waste material from `said lower shell Cil through said disposal pipe, an annular pipe supported by the inner wall lof said upper shell and spaced above said lter in said tank, there being a series of spraying holes in said annular pipe, a first inlet pipe connected at one end to said annular pipe, ya T-coupling connected to its other end, `second and third inlet pipes connected to said T-coupling and a valve in each second and third pipes whereby a cleaning fluid and a detergent may be alternately or in combination admitted to said annular pipe and sprayed over said lter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,867,988 7/1932 Safford et al 55-420 X 2,024,122 12/ 1935 Wemhoener 55-242 2,361,394 10/1944 Freeman et al 55--417 X 2,583,252 1/1952 Carraway 55-227 X 2,768,707 10/1956 Campbell 55-432 X 2,979,755 4/1961 McCaskill 55--420 X 3,173,164 3/1965 Congdon 55-432 X 3,214,020 10/1965 Danker 55-212 X 3,243,043 3/1966 Thompson et al. 55-432 X FOREIGN PATENTS 796,828 2/ 1936 France.

869,175 10/1941 France.

791,510 3/1958 Great Britain.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

D. TALBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

